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The Vital Role of Carers

More than 1.7 million Australians are caring for someone living with dementia; a role which can be both rewarding and challenging.

A 2024 National Carer Survey found that more than 56 per cent of dementia carers provided care alone and almost a quarter of carers had been in the role for more than 10 years. A 2025 Dementia in Australia AIHW report also revealed that almost half of carers reported they felt one or more physical or emotional impacts due to their caring role.

No carer needs to manage their caring responsibilities alone. That’s why it is important that carers are aware of the supports and information that are available to them.

Advice for New Carers

Becoming a carer can bring up a lot of emotions. You may feel a great sense of satisfaction or a lot of love for the person you are caring for. Carers also report feeling anger, guilt, sadness, frustration, grief and even resentment. All feelings are valid and can change over time, becoming more or less intense.

It’s ok to reach out to a psychologist or counsellor to talk to and help you understand and work through these emotions. Dementia Australia offers free, confidential and professional counselling for individuals, families and couples at all stages of a dementia diagnosis, not just the beginning.

How to Look After Yourself as a Carer

It isn’t always easy to look after your own needs when you’re providing care for someone close to you. When attending to someone with complex needs because of a medical condition, carers can often feel like they need to put their own needs second, or even last.

But it’s important to remember that carers are also people who deserve care and taking time for yourself can also mean you’re in a better position to care for your loved one.

Looking after yourself can look like anything from eating and sleeping well, to exercising and checking in with your doctor regularly to help maintain your general health.

If you have to move or lift someone you are caring for, you should seek advice from your doctor or an allied health professional to reduce your risk of injury. There are also ways to create dementia-friendly modifications to your home that can benefit both you and the person you care for.

Where possible, make sure you are giving yourself a break from your responsibilities as a carer and changing your scenery, resting and recharging. This depends on your individual situation, but it could look like someone else taking on your caring role for a short period, or on a regular basis. This can also benefit the person you’re caring for, offering them a chance to spend time with different people and is an opportunity for them to maintain their own social connections.

Retaining social connections is also crucial for carers. While relationships with family and friends are vital social supports, it can be useful to connect with people who are in a similar situation or have previous experience as a carer.

Dementia Australia runs Connecting Peers, a one-to-one peer support program which connects carers with other people who have been through similar experiences, in addition to events like Memory Lane Cafés which are run across the country to bring people living with dementia, their family members and carers together to form new social connections and to share stories and advice.

Advice for Men in the Caring Role

Many men can find themselves caring for someone with dementia, whether that’s caring for a partner, parent, child or sibling living with dementia. While every caring journey is unique, there is evidence that male carers can sometimes navigate dementia care differently to female carers.

Male carers can sometimes be less likely to identify as a carer and as a result, might not be aware of what supports are available and be less likely to access support services. Male carers can sometimes also wait for a crisis point to come up before asking for help. Whether it comes from feelings of shame or stigma, if men don’t ask for help, they can find their needs not being met. It can also lead to a poorer outcome for the person they’re caring for.

It’s important that men connect with and learn from other men in the caring role who have had similar experiences, whether that’s through community groups or programs like Dementia Australia’s ‘Blokes in the Caring Role’ program which gives men the chance to come together to learn caregiving strategies and support options.

Supports Available for Carers

All these ways to take care of yourself have one thing in common – they’re much easier to do when you have help. Nobody needs to manage a diagnosis of dementia alone, whether you are the person living with dementia or the carer. It is why it’s important for everyone impacted by dementia to build a support team of family, friends, professionals and trusted people to help you.

Dementia Australia offers support, information and education for everyone including carers, family members and people living with dementia. Dementia Australia services include carer support groups, counselling, group and individual support services, as well as education programs to help carers support loved ones to live well at home, continue their hobbies, learn about dementia and access support services to maintain their own health and wellbeing.

For more information about caring for someone living with dementia, visit dementia.org.au/living-dementia/family-friends-and-carers#information-advice-and-support-for-carers
For confidential support, information or advice, anyone can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You can also access webchat or email support at dementia.org.au.